


His Blood

by silveryink



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Die Thanos Die, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, I mean that Thanos deserves to die, Implied/Referenced Torture, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Loki really needs a hug, Mind Control, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Thor (Marvel) is Not Stupid, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, at least in this fic, but he does not actually die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-11 11:36:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15971525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silveryink/pseuds/silveryink
Summary: Six years ago, Loki's life was turned upside down. A great fire destroyed nearly everyone he held close to his heart. He held on for those who still lived, but before he landed on Midgard, his life had taken an unpleasant, downhill turn. Evidence presented before him suggested that perhaps, everything was not as it seemed...





	1. Chapter 1

Loki opened his eyes slowly, observing his surroundings as he did so. A year on the Sanctuary had taught him enough on gauging the dangers of his surroundings more than all the centuries of his training on Asgard. The small room was well lit, but not too brightly. The walls were made of some metal that looked like those of the Sanctuary. He was on some sort of makeshift bed or chair, half-reclining, and when he tried to raise his hands to brush his hair out of his face, he found that they were restrained. Panic seized him and he strained against the bonds, unable to draw proper breaths. He had been missing quite a few memories, but he remembered going to Midgard quite clearly. How - and when - had he returned (or been brought back) to the Sanctuary?

A strong set of hands gently lowered him back onto the chair, but that only made him strain harder. He couldn't face the Titan again, not if he wanted to survive the ordeal. A familiar voice kept repeating his name, and it took him a moment to realise who it was. When he did, however, he slumped back and closed his eyes. "This again?" he asked in a hoarse voice. "I'm done being fooled by your cheap illusions."

"Brother..." Thor rested his hand on Loki's shoulder before the trickster jerked it away. "Well? Where are we this time? If we're still on the Sanctuary, well, I have to tell you that this isn't even - you're not even trying."

"Trying what, brother? We are both on Midgard, on the humans' ship. A Helicarrier, I think it was called.”

Loki was silent for a moment. “Say that I believe you. What happened to me that I came to Midgard? To end up in this… Helicarrier?”

Thor frowned. “Do you not remember, Loki? If this is one of your tricks, I swear-”

“Humour me,” Loki interrupted. Thor told him, still frowning, that he had fallen off the Bifrost Bridge over a year ago, and had been missing since. Then, he had mysteriously shown up and consequently destroyed a SHIELD facility while stealing the Tesseract from them. A few hours ago, he had apparently preached in front of a crowd of Germans to turn them to his side and allow him to rule before two Midgardians called Captain America and Iron Man had stopped him and tried to bring him here. That was when Thor arrived and pulled him to a cliff-side to talk some sense into him and possibly bring him back along with the Tesseract.

Just then, Iron Man had plowed right into him and knocked him off the cliff and into a tree. That was when he’d hit his head and fallen unconscious. Come to think of it, that was probably the reason he was sore all over. Well, that and the numerous open gashes on his back, which were now healing, thanks to his _seidr._ But Thor didn’t have to know about those.

“Brother, do you truly not remember any of this?” Thor echoed his earlier question.

“I…” Loki’s voice trailed off as he tried to remember anything past the Sanctuary. He shook his head. “I fear my memories were tampered with. But I think I do remember some twisted version of these events.”

“Twisted?”

“You said I _fell_ from the Bifrost. I remember you throwing me off.”

Thor’s horrified expression was enough confirmation that this was, indeed, false. But a nagging doubt crossed his mind – did Thor know that he was a Frost Giant?

“Brother, I would never do that. This had better not be some kind of jest.”

“I almost wish it was,” Loki muttered under his breath. “You would not slay a _jotun_ , then?”

If Loki had expected Thor to recoil at the mention, he was disappointed. However, Thor’s expression filled with regret. “I… Father told me of your heritage, after you fell. I’m so sorry for all that I said about the Frost Giants. I spoke without considering that they might be anything but what we were told.”

“And what changed your mind?”

Thor looked down at his knees. “I may have done some research on the _jotuns._ There was an entire section on them in the archives, would you believe? Most of the books spoke of their lifestyle, which is more like ours than we were taught to believe.”

“I’m afraid I can’t believe this,” Loki said. “You, who vowed to annihilate them all as a child, now studied them as-”

“Brother, I only speak the truth. I did my research, and released the error in my ways concerning them. I’ve changed.”

“Forgive me if I find that hard to believe,” Loki said bitterly. He was silent for a moment, thoughtful. “Tell me something only you would know,” he said finally. “So that I can believe that it is you. None of the illusions can do that.”

Thor spoke up after pondering hard. “You first changed form when you were five,” he said.

“What did I change into?”

“A snake. Green, with gold markings, like your _seidr._ That was actually the first time I saw one, and I liked them so much because you had taken their form first.”

Loki relaxed completely, and his emotionless mask melted away into a look of relief. “Norns, it _is_ you,” he said. “I had hoped, but…”

Thor frowned. “Loki, a lot of what you just said doesn’t make sense.”

Loki started to lean forward, but his restraints held him back. They were made of leather, not the harsh metal that had cut into his wrists back on the Sanctuary. Thor frowned at them for a moment. “Loki, I’m going to take these off. If you do try to attack me, or escape, I will put them back on.”

“Why in the Nine Realms would I try to do that?” he asked, bewildered, as Thor gently undid the restraints. Loki straightened and rubbed his wrists gently. Thor didn’t seem to notice the remnants of his old scars. His _seidr_ had done a good job, then.

“Some of the people here, doctors, I believe they’re called, took a few scans when you were unconscious to check whether you were all right. Imagine my surprise,” Thor continued, controlling the rage and concern in his tone, “when the scans revealed several signs of injury of all sorts.”

Loki winced. “I was hoping you didn’t notice that,” he said.

“Loki, what happened to you to cause such lasting damage? You were always a quick healer. Only prolonged exposure – or a drain in your power – would slow the process down.”

“I think you know what happened.”

“Then tell me, who did this to you?”

Loki was about to speak, but almost choked when he tried. He sucked in a breath, realizing what the Titan had done. He looked up frantically at Thor. “I can’t say,” he said.

“Yes, you can,” Thor said patiently.

“No, I can’t,” Loki insisted. “Th-” Loki choked on the name again, and grew more agitated. “H-he put a block on me. I-I can’t say his name.”

Thor’s eyes widened. “Loki,” he began, but his brother was shivering. Thor was about to ask if he was cold before it hit him that he was shivering from fear.

Thor had spent a hundred years with his brother and knew when he was faking something. Thor also knew that when his brother was truly afraid of something, or someone, the situation was truly grave. The god of thunder sat next to Loki and gently laid a hand on his back, meaning to comfort him. He was not expecting Loki to turn towards him with tears in his eyes. Thor was surprised, but he hid it as he pulled his brother towards him. The younger prince was sobbing into his chest, and Thor was holding him tightly. He knew that he didn’t have to say anything, and only had to wait till his brother was calm again. So he sat in silence, stroking Loki’s hair soothingly.

Loki cried for another twenty minutes, before he pulled away with a sniff. He didn’t move out of Thor’s embrace, however. Instead, he rested his head on the thunderer’s shoulder and closed his eyes. Thor remained silent and fought hard not to wince when Fury started yelling at him through the earpiece. He’d been ignoring the express commands of leaders since he had started out as a warrior. Which meant that he’d been doing it for a really, really long time.

“They tried to get information about Asgard’s defences out of me,” Loki said softly. “About the Nine Realms. I refused to tell them anything, so they…” he wasn’t able to continue. He tried to get his breathing under control, and Thor waited patiently as his brother’s hitching almost-sobs became regular, even breaths.

Once Loki was clam again, he sat up straighter and faced Thor. “They tortured me for information,” he said, before he lost his nerve. Thor remembered the scans they’d shown him. The results about his still-healing injuries had made him nearly sick. He was lucky that Loki was as resilient as he was, otherwise… he didn’t know where he would be right now.

“Brother…”

Thor started out of his thoughts. Loki had switched to their native tongue. He knew that they were being watched, and understood why. Thor almost smiled at that, of course his brother had realised it. Loki had always been the better tactician, and surveillance in such circumstances was only to be expected.

“How is Vali?” he asked softly.

Thor’s eyes softened. “He’s fine,” he assured Loki. “He misses you. Even though everyone thought you were dead, he never believed it for one second. He and mother both.”

Loki smiled, a small, odd sort of smile. “You know, he was one of the only reasons I didn’t give in to Th-” he stopped on the name again, willing himself to continue, to ignore the enchantment, “to _his_ demands. The Titan.”

Thor sucked in a breath. “The Mad Titan?”

Loki nodded. “He tried hard to break me,” he admitted. “Physical torture was ineffective. I’ve borne a lot of pain when we battled. One does not wade into a war and emerge unscathed.”

“I did,” Thor said with a frown.

Loki smiled at that. “I never really gave you a choice. There was always at least one shield around you to protect you from any incoming weapons. There still is, I think.” Loki concentrated for a minute. “As I thought. The spell has weakened, but I can reinforce it.”

Thor smiled. “I should have known that you would protect me.”

“Not always,” Loki said miserably. “When – the Destroyer…”

“I don’t blame you,” Thor assured.

“You should,” Loki exclaimed. “I practically _commanded_ your death!”

“But I am not dead, Loki.”

“And I have only the Norns to thank for that. If it had been up to me, at the time – for I would never wish it upon you in my right mind – you would have wound up in Valhalla.”

“I was mortal at the time.”

“But you still were – are – a prince of Asgard. That made you Aesir. Remember our lessons?”

“Aesir society, Asgardian physiology. And, I suppose, _jotun_ physiology, in your case.”

“They’re not all that different, Thor.”

“No, they aren’t,” Thor agreed. “They are much like Aesir. Though a bit more… well, for want of a better word, _brutal._ In their demeanor. But do no change the subject,” he said, once more in English. “Did you land in the hands of the Mad Titan when you fell between worlds?”

“Might as well as call it by its name,” Loki muttered. “Yes, Thor, I did. He tried to torture me to get the information, and when ii resisted, he used the Mind Stone – the sceptre – to get me to cooperate. For a while, it seemed to be working, but I never gave him Asgard’s secrets. This I swear on my own _seidr_.”

Thor’s eyes widened. “Loki, you needn’t-”

“I have to. For the most part of the last year, I turned my _seidr_ on myself, and locked myself away in a corner of my brain. The person who blasted their way through the SHIELD facility, who made grandiose speeches in Germany and nearly-” he drew a hitching breath there- “nearly killed an innocent man, an _elder_ to humans, that was not me.”

“Loki, I believe you. I know not about the particulars of your _seidr_ , which is unfortunate, for you are mighty, but I know that turning one’s powers on oneself could leave scars.”

“Who’s saying that it didn’t?” A twisted smile crossed Loki’s face. “I was lucky, they merely persisted as _physical_ scars. If I had gone too far, I could have poisoned my own _seidr_. But, as it happens, I didn’t. Though I’m not sure which is more painful. These are not normal scars, after all.”

“No one should have to go through what you did,” Thor said. “I’m just glad you’re alive, Loki.”

Loki leaned on Thor’s shoulder again. The doors opened, and the Captain entered, followed by Stark. Thor had no doubt that the others were watching as well. “Well, you’ve done it,” Stark said. “Fury’s mad that you let Reindeer Games here out of his restraints. He wants to know where the Tesseract is.”

Loki frowned. “What?”

“You know, the blue cube you took from SHIELD? Sounds familiar?”

“I know what the Tesseract is,” Loki said. “I didn’t-” he paused, eyes widening in horror. “No,” he whispered. “Please tell me I didn’t take it back to Th- to the Titan.”

“You didn’t,” Thor said. “Brother, if there’s any information you can provide about the Tesseract’s location-”

Just then, the Helicarrier rocked to the side. The humans stumbled. “What was that?” Captain Rogers asked.

“Barton,” Loki replied. “He must have come for the sceptre.”

“Or you, maybe.”

“I highly doubt it.”

“You’re the one who controlled him.”

“I – that – I used the scepter, and I was as much under control as he is.”

“Say that I believe you,” Stark said. “How do I know that you’re not still under control?”

“I hit my head, remember? When you threw me into the tree.”

“Oh, yeah.” Another explosion rocked the ship. Stark cursed and ran out, calling instructions to Rogers.

“Brother, we will be fine.”

“I know that,” Loki snapped. Thor was about to reply, when a voice crackled through his ear, calling for aid. Apparently the Hulk had gotten loose. Thor only knew about the Hulk because Agent Romanoff had explained who everyone was to him. He knew that he couldn't let Loki out, his brother was still healing and nobody trusted him (save himself, and perhaps the humans who had listened to their conversation).

“I have to go, Loki,” he said. “Stay here.”

“Thor!” But Thor wasn’t listening, as he had already run out of the infirmary.


	2. Chapter 2

The Chitauri army had fallen when the mothership had been destroyed. When the portal had first opened, Loki had _felt_ them enter the planet, each presence like fire lashing across him. The Avengers – more specifically Tony - had to literally drag him aside till he stopped screaming in pain. Tony had pulled him into his lab, where he had reinforced the walls for safety, and waited till he stopped screaming. Then he had talked for another ten minutes about practically everything in the Nine until Loki had felt the agony subside.

But it had been smooth sailing after that. The scepter had the key to destroying the portal, the connection had been cut off, and the world was safe. More importantly, the scepter and the Tesseract were safely out of the Titan’s hands. And so was he.

Loki had apologised repeatedly to Selvig and Barton, who didn’t completely forgive him but understood why he had done so. While they had been controlled, he had been manipulated. His actions, however much the motives behind them were the Titan’s, were still his, though Thor tried to convince him otherwise. Well, the astrophysicist still seemed wary of him as he approached to take the machine from him, though he didn’t seem to bear any ill feelings towards him.

Loki found that didn’t really care about their forgiveness. He knew that he had done the wrong thing in controlling them, whether or not it was of his own accord, and had apologised for that. But he didn’t care whether the humans actually forgave him, at least, not at the moment. He simply wanted to get back to Asgard. He wanted to go _home_ and see his son. Thor held out the device and Loki took it. They nodded at the Avengers in farewell and disappeared from Earth.

A few seconds later, they materialised inside the throne room, which was mercifully empty apart from the king and queen’s presences. Thor and Loki had spoken a lot after the battle, and Loki had told him of his suspicions – that the Titan (though he couldn’t tell Thor who he was) had been manipulating him long before he fell into the Void.

Loki explained his actions concerning the Frost Giants and how he had let them into Asgard, and about what had happened on Earth. Odin was silent for a long while. Loki grew increasingly anxious. He’d told him everything, including what had happened on the Sanctuary.

Everything except the identity of his tormentor.

They knew who he was talking about. Only one person, who had been but whispered of over the centuries, matched his description.

“Since when were you under the Titan’s control?” Odin asked.

Loki looked up uncomfortably. “Since the fire.”

The others’ looks darkened. About six years ago, there had been an attack on Alfheim. Thor and Loki had returned to find Loki’s house on fire. Of the three occupants who had been inside, only one had survived. Loki couldn’t find the bodies of his wife, Sigyn, and son, Narvi. Vali himself had been on the brink of death. Loki had disappeared and had been cloaked from Heimdall’s sight for two days after that incident, before he had returned to raise his remaining son.

After that, Loki had moved back into the palace. Losing Sigyn and Narvi had obviously taken a huge toll on him, so it might have been easy for the Titan to take advantage of his grief and invade his mind.

Odin nodded gravely. “I will pardon you of your…”                 

“Crimes?”

“Actions,” Odin completed. “My son, it is good to see you alive.”

Loki bowed his head. “Thank you, Father. It is good to see you again.”

Frigga stepped forward and hugged Loki tightly, and he held her just as fiercely, trying his best not to burst into tears on the spot. After spending a year on the Sanctuary, he was desperate for a gentle touch, be it from his brother, mother or son.

Speaking of whom…

They heard a voice shout outside as Loki stepped back, and the doors burst open. A gangly boy with flaming red hair and greenish-blue eyes ran into the throne room with a cry, leaping into Loki’s outstretched arms. Loki laughed as he spun Vali around. “Norns, I missed you so much!”

“You’re here,” Vali breathed, once he stepped back enough to examine his father properly. He took in the slumped shoulders and the tense way he held himself, as though he expected to be attacked any second, and the dark circles under his eyes. He also noticed that however exhausted he looked, there was a sparkle in his eyes that he hadn’t seen in a long while.

“I’m here,” Loki agreed, dropping to his knees and holding his son close, almost afraid to let go.

* * *

The old band of warriors was watching in amusement as Volstagg retold the story of the day’s battle. Loki, who hadn’t been there at the time, looked amused at some of the details. The children ran up to them then, and Volstagg paused his storytelling to pull them up onto his lap.  


Vali sat next to Loki, the very picture of dignity. Loki grinned at his son. “Today’s battle seems to be a lot more exciting than I expected,” he said. Vali chuckled and leaned into his side. Loki wrapped an arm around his son, who automatically curled into him, and was struck by how much Vali resembled Sigyn.

Grief tugged at his heart, and he pressed a gentle kiss to Vali’s forehead before turning to Volstagg once more. Thor excused himself halfway through the tale. Loki would have gone after him, but Vali looked tired, so he excused himself as well. Barely fifteen minutes later, he got a message saying that the All-father was requesting his presence.

Grumbling, Loki made his way to the archives where his father wanted to meet him. When he entered, the records-keeper told him that he could find the king in the Infinite Section, as they had called it. Loki wondered why his father had gone there, of all places. It was more likely for him to be there, though he avoided it after the events on Midgard.

 “Father, you wished to see me?” He made no attempt to hide his irritation. He had been looking forward to spending a quiet evening with his son, even if the child was asleep.

“I assume you know of Doctor Foster here,” Odin said. Loki turned to face a young woman who he knew from Thor’s descriptions (and his brief time on the throne). She waved awkwardly. “Hi.”

Loki bowed low. She was not to blame for his summoning, so he would be courteous to her. “Jane Foster,” he said. “It’s good to meet you after hearing so much about you. I was wondering when my brother would invite you over.”

“Your brother?” She looked confused for a moment, before her expression cleared. “Oh, you’re Loki.”

“The one and only,” he said with a brilliant smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Jane grinned hesitantly.

“Loki, Jane has been exposed to something – to the Aether. We were wondering if we could get it out of her safely.”

“The Aether?” he repeated. “Thor…”

“What exactly is the Aether?” Jane asked.

“There are relics that predate the universe itself,” Odin explained. “What lies within her appears to be one of them. The Nine Realms are not eternal. They had a dawn, and they will have a dusk.”

Loki interrupted, getting to the point. “The Aether is one of the six fundamental elements of the universe,” he said. “When the universe was created – we do not know exactly how, but whatever theory you prefer, the outcome was the same. Six gems emerged from the chaotic state they had been in before, called Infinity Stones. These are Space, Mind, Reality, Power, Time, and Soul.”

“Soul?”

“It’s not important now,” Loki said. “Though I can tell you about them in detail later, if you want. The Aether is the Reality Stone, and it can essentially turn matter into dark matter. The other five stones appeared as solid in state, while the Aether was, for want of a better word, tailored to suit Malekith’s desires and made to be fluid. It seeks out hosts, and draws on their energy, their life force, for as long as they wield its power directly. There are other devices which could nullify that effect, but none would be particularly useful here.”

“Malekith and his army of dark elves sought to use this power to return the universe to darkness,” Odin continued. “My father, Bor, was locked in a war that lasted for centuries. An exceedingly long time, even for a race like us.”

Loki looked uncomfortable at this.

“After an eternity of bloodshed, my father triumphed, ushering in a peace that lasted for millennia.”

“What happened?” Jane asked. Loki frowned at her. “He killed them all,” Odin said flatly, before walking out. The trio stared at him for a moment before Jane asked, “So… does this book say how to get it out of me?”

“Unfortunately not,” Loki said. “None of them do.”

“So what do I do?”

“First, you should get some rest. I can actually sense the Aether drawing on your life force. Thor, please escort her to the guest chambers. I’ll join you in the morning.”

* * *

The marketplace was oddly crowded, though nothing was out of the ordinary. That was when Loki remembered that it was the annual fair which lasted for a week, with today being the last day. He wove through the crowds easily, steering Vali in the right direction as he chattered about his lessons with Frigga. Loki and Frigga had been taking turns with giving Vali the finest education on _seidr._ Loki spotted Thor wrapping an arm around Jane, who was wearing a beige dress and had a shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

Thor waved at Loki, who made his way over to the pair. “Brother,” he greeted, and he nodded in reply. Loki glanced down at his son, who was peering up curiously at Jane. “Vali, this is Dr. Jane Foster, an astrophysicist from Midgard. Dr. Foster-”

“Jane, please,” Jane said.

“Jane, this is my son, Vali.”

“Hey there,” she said with a bright smile. She looked up at Loki. “I didn’t know that you had kids.”

Loki’s smile vanished. Talking about Sigyn and Narvi was hard, even after all these years. “I… My wife and son perished in a fire that destroyed our home six years ago. Vali himself almost died. I have the healers of Asgard to thank for my son’s life.”

Jane looked sorrowful. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “My sincerest condolences.”

Vali was gazing thoughtfully at Jane. “You’re courting Uncle Thor, aren’t you, my lady?”

“Vali!” Loki exclaimed. The boy looked up guiltily at him. Loki shook his head, unable to scold him.

“It’s fine,” Jane said with a grin, as Thor roared with laughter. “Yes, I am, what did you call it? _Courting_ Thor.”

Vali nodded knowingly at her. Loki smiled, knowing that Jane was enchanted. Vali always stole the hearts of whoever he met. “About what we were discussing yesterday,” Loki said, “I think I should introduce you to my mother. She might know of something that could help.”

“Thank you,” Jane said. “I hope it’s no trouble.”

“Not at all, Jane,” Thor assured her. Loki smirked at his brother, and bowed before Jane. “Well, I’ll leave you both to it, then. I do believe that it’s a lovely day for a walk, and the gardens should be empty for the next hour, at least.”

Thor shot Loki a grateful look before leading an excited Jane towards the gardens. 

* * *

The alarms rang across the palace, alerting them to an invasion. Frigga and Loki exchanged a look as they returned to her chambers. “Mother, if Malekith also survived, you know what he’s coming for.”

“Loki, get the Casket from the Vaults,” Frigga ordered. “I’ll send Jane with Vali to your chambers, if you don’t mind.”

“They are properly warded, so they should keep Malekith from detecting her there.” With that, he sprinted towards the Vaults. He knew that he could remove the Casket without any trouble, though new wards had been set up to protect the relics from thieves.

He willed himself to not change appearance when he picked it up and ran back to his mother’s chambers. When he reached, he cast an illusion over himself at his mother’s instructions to look like Jane. He sat down at the base of the pool in the center of her chambers. “Mother,” Loki began, “Are you sure this will work? Replicating the energy signature of an Infinity Stone is next to impossible. And we need to get it our of her. How she isn't in constant pain I don't know.”

“Loki, we need to talk about what you have learnt in the year away from Asgard,” Frigga said with a frown. “It’s a bit concerning.”

“Everything about that year is concerning. I don’t want to burden you with the knowledge of it. It’s bad enough that I went through it all; I don’t see any reason in causing you unnecessary distress. But you still didn’t answer my question.”

Frigga sighed. “The truth is, I’m not sure that it will work. But it will give us a chance.”

“I-”

The door burst open. Malekith himself stormed inside. He hastily rose from beside the pool and moved behind her, playing the part of a panicked Jane perfectly. “Stand down, creature,” Frigga said, slowly pacing around the border of the pool with a sword in her hand, “and you may still survive this.”

“I have survived worse, woman,” Malekith replied calmly. It took Loki all his willpower to not react visibly to that statement.

“Who are you?” This question was meant to throw Malekith off - his mother obviously knew who the intruder was - but it didn’t appear to affect him at all.

“I am Malekith,” he replied. “And I would have what is mine.”

Malekith stepped forwards, towards him, and he backed away hastily. Frigga cut off the dark elf with a swipe of her blade. It flashed for a moment as it made contact. The next minute passed with the two of them locked in a vicious duel. Loki watched in awe – it had been a long time since he’d seen his mother spar with anyone.

He was so entranced by the fight that he failed to notice another figure enter the chambers. Too late to warn her, he could only watch as Kurse pulled his mother away from a pinned-down Malekith into a tight grip.

“You have taken something, child,” Malekith said, slowly advancing towards him. “Give it back.”

Loki decided that it was time to reveal himself. “With pleasure,” he said, and let loose a blast of magic in Kurse’s direction. Kurse let go of his mother as though the contact burned him, and she stumbled to the side and tossed him the sword. He caught it deftly and met Malekith’s own blade with his.

The two of them sparred, and sparks flew from the force of each blow. Normally, Loki would have used one of his daggers (or more) but he knew that they wouldn’t be of much help here. He struck viciously, but Odin was faster as he blasted the dark elf and his lieutenant, Kurse, from the balcony.

* * *

It had been relatively easy to get the Aether out of Jane, but wrestling it from Malekith was decidedly harder, especially when Loki got stabbed by a poisonous sword. Malekith had done something that surprised him. He hissed in recognition and said, “Thanos’ plaything.”

Loki froze. Malekith couldn’t be working with the Titan, could he?

This distraction served its purpose, and he found himself run through with a poisoned blade. He had sent Thor and Jane to Midgard and used one of the passages to return to Asgard. The passage had luckily led him straight to the healers.

Eir had been shocked to see the slowly-dying prince as he fell out of nowhere, asking for a cure to _svartalf_ poison. She had recovered quickly and had cured him, obviously. She was not the chief healer for nothing. Eir then had to wrestle him onto the bed; he was adamant on joining Thor and Jane.

They had reached a compromise, and Vali was curled into Loki’s side, fast asleep, taking care not to aggravate the wound. Loki looked much calmer now that he was in his own chambers, as he asked Eir about the specifics of dark elf poison. “Why am I not healing as I normally would?”

“The poison inhibits your _seidr_ from healing the wound, so it will heal much slower than any other instance. You ought to be more careful, prince.”

“I will do my best not to get run through by a poisoned blade of an undead race again, if that is what you mean.”

“Sarcasm is good,” Eir said. “Better than dying on a hill, alone and in pain.”

Loki winced. “Point taken.”

* * *

“Loki, are you sure you’re all right?”  


The first thing Thor had done after returning to Asgard was check on his brother.

“Thor, I’m fine,” Loki assured him. He idly ran his hand through Vali’s hair. Vali had grown it out a bit, making him look dignified. “Just recovering from a stab wound that miraculously missed all my vital organs.”

“The blade was poisoned, Loki,” Thor said. “I know how _svartalf_ poisons work.”

“Truly remarkable,” Loki commented. “So you didn’t sleep through _all_ of our lessons.”

“No, just a few of them.” They shared a quick grin. “How’s Jane?” Loki asked.

“She’s fine. She’s with Darcy Lewis and Erik Selvig. And some other person named Ian. I think Darcy is courting him.”

“I asked about Jane, not gossip pertaining to her friends,” he grumbled. “When you’re going back, tell her that I’ll visit with Vali. I want to meet her formally. That little encounter was just an introduction.”

“I’m sure she will be pleased. Darcy too said that she wanted to meet you.” Thor fidgeted uncomfortably with his armour.

“Thor, is something troubling you?”

“You were _stabbed through._ You were actively dying! The poison was slowly, painfully killing you and there was nothing I could do to help! I thought – I – I don’t know what I would do if you had died.”

Loki’s expression softened. “Thor, you can rest assured that I’m not planning on dying anytime soon. I wouldn’t – I _couldn’t_ do that to Vali. Or you. Or Mother.”

“And Father?”

Loki shrugged neutrally. “Him too, I suppose.”

“Right. Now will you tell me what’s going on in your mind?”

Loki raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Malekith… while we were on Svartalfheim, he said something.”

“What did he say?”

“He called me Th… the Titan’s plaything.”

Thor winced. “Brother…”

“I’m not offended by the remark, Thor,” Loki assured him. “I’m more concerned by the fact that Tha- that the Titan might be working with Malekith.”

“That might have been an issue,” Thor agreed, “But I killed him. I made sure of it. But he said something else on Midgard. Something that troubled me.”

“What did he tell you?”

“He said that the Titan did you a favour by bringing balance into your home, and that your betrayal and lack of gratitude would not be easily forgotten. It didn’t make sense, but – Loki?”

Loki’s already pale complexion whitened further. “He didn’t,” he growled.

“Loki?”

“For years I’ve been thinking that my house was destroyed in an _accident_ , and now I’m told that it _wasn’t_?” Thor actually took a step back, Loki looked more furious than he had ever seen him. “The Titan will _pay_ for what he did to my family,” Loki said. He was shaking, though he kept his voice low for Vali’s sake. He closed his eyes, and a tear rolled down his cheek. The anger that had been present moments ago in the set of his shoulders and the hard glint in his eyes seemed to be gone.

“Thor,” he whispered, “when do you think I will be free of the Titan’s influence on my life?”

Thor sat down next to his brother, who promptly pulled him into a desperate sort of embrace and buried his face in Thor’s shoulder. Thor held him close, careful not to disturb Vali’s sleep, as Loki sobbed into Thor’s tunic. Thor could feel nothing but dismay that his brother had suffered so much at the hands of his tormentor.

Vali woke a few minutes later, to see his father crying into his uncle’s shoulder, and gently tugged at his arm. Loki turned to his son, brushing his tears away, but Vali simply crawled into the space between the two brothers and hugged his father tightly. Fresh tears fell from Loki’s eyes and he held on to the most important men in his life as he tried to ground himself in reality once more.


	3. Chapter 3

“Okay, so we’ve got the glowing death stick-”

“Sceptre, Stark. It’s a sceptre.”

“Loki, you can’t really expect Tony to _not_ give it some sort of nickname,” Steve said softly.

“You and I can have nicknames,” Loki objected. “So can a pet, or a steed. Or any living creature in general. The sceptre that lies in your Quinjet right now can _not_ have a nickname. It’s inanimate, mostly not sentient.”

“ _Mostly?_ ”

“The gem it houses it semi-sentient, but the sceptre itself is not. It’s merely a tool to channel the Stone’s powers.”

“Sentient sapphires,” Tony muttered under his breath. Loki reached over and smacked the back of his head lightly. “You know it’s true,” the inventor protested.

“You are incorrigible, Stark,” Loki said, rolling his eyes.

“So I’ve been told.” Tony clapped his hands together. “I assume you all are coming for the party?”

“Well, if this brings the sceptre’s involvement in my life to a close, yes,” Loki replied with a smile. “Though I will be staying in Asgard between now and then.”

“Make sure you’re fashionably late,” Tony grinned. “Steve, Thor?”

“I’ll be returning to Asgard with my brother, sorting out this business with my father, then, yes. A victory must always be celebrated with revels.”

“So you would say,” Loki countered. “Personally I’ve always preferred some rest after these sort of matters. The kind that accompanies reading a good book.”

“Reindeer Games, I didn’t think you’d be a bookworm.”

“When you live for five thousand years, you find something that occupies your time. I either used to practice using my _seidr_ or read. Although, other things have taken up my time in the past years.”

“Yeah-uh. Steve, I didn’t get your reply?”

Steve shrugged. “I mean, everyone else is coming, and it’s a bit of a good opportunity that I don’t want to miss.”

“That’s my Cap,” Tony said affectionately. “So, you guys can invite a friend or two, if you like. Or, a _friend_.” He waggled his eyebrows. Steve rolled his eyes.

* * *

“Father,” Vali greeted warmly when Loki returned to Asgard. Loki smiled at the teenager and ruffled his hair. Vali made a halfhearted noise of protest, but didn’t move away. “Did you find it?”

“It’s currently with Stark,” he said. “He has organized a party, three days hence. After the festivities, Thor and I will bring it here and possibly send it to Vanaheim of Alfheim. I’d rather not have two Infinity Stones so close together.”

“I’m sure you will work it out,” Vali said. “What’s this I hear about a party?”

Loki shrugged. “All the Avengers are invited. We can call in a few friends if we like. I was wondering if you wanted to come. If it isn’t what you desire, however, you can stay here.”

“I should like to stay,” Vali said with a smile. “There are a few books in the library that I wish to read.”

“You read even when I’m here, Vali,” Loki said dryly. He was usually struck by how much Vali reminded him of Sigyn, so moments like these where he reminded him of himself in his younger days tended to take him completely by surprise, the way they came out of nowhere.

“Yes, I do,” Vali replied, grinning widely, before Loki joined him on the couch to read.

* * *

“… and I was like, ‘Boom, were you looking for this?’”

Rhodey paused, waiting for a reaction. When he got none, he repeated, “I said, ‘Boom, you looking for-’ why do I even talk to you guys? Everywhere else, that story _kills._ ”

“That’s the whole story?” Thor asked, while Tony was doing his best to keep a straight expression on his face.

“Yeah, dude, it’s a War Machine story.”

“Oh, it’s very good, then,” Thor said with a polite grin. “It’s impressive.”

Elsewhere, Loki was entertaining Sam and Steve. The two humans were howling with laughter at his stories. “…destroyed the entire hall, but it was worth it,” Loki was saying. He spotted Bruce, who was lurking behind a column. “Bruce, you must join us as I embarrass my brother with tales of our childhood.”

Bruce smiled nervously and made his way over to them. Sam moved over and patted the couch for Bruce to sit beside him. A few minutes later, he was laughing too hard to breathe as Loki told them about the time Thor had tried to drink an entire ocean.

 

At some point, Thor produced a small flask full of rare Asgardian mead. He poured some into his and Loki’s glasses.

“Well, I gotta have some of that,” an old human said.

Thor shook his head. “No, no, no, you see, this was aged for over a thousand years, in the barrels built from the wreck of Brunnhilde’s Fleet. It is not meant for mortal men,” he said, pouring in some of the drink into Steve’s glass. Steve looked up sharply at the thunderer and eyed the glass carefully.

“Neither was Omaha Beach, blondie,” the man retorted. “Stop trying to scare us. Come on.”

Loki frowned and was about to speak when Thor added a liberal amount of the mead to the man’s drink. He shook his head. This should be interesting.

 

“Ex…cel…sior,” the man slurred, as he was escorted from the party.

“He’s going to wake up with a terrible hangover tomorrow,” Loki commented. “I don’t fancy being in his position.”

Steve sipped at the drink lightly, before deciding that it wouldn’t affect him and that he liked it.

“Where did you even find it?” Loki asked Thor. “I though all reserves were judiciously guarded.”

“I borrowed it from your chambers.”

“I find that hard to believe. My chambers are warded. You can’t enter them without my permission.”

“I can’t,” Thor admitted, “but Vali can.”

Loki gaped for a minute. Steve looked amused and confused. “Thor, you didn’t.” Loki sounded betrayed, overdramatically so.

“Oh, yes, I did.”

“First you turned Mother against me, ganging up with her to play pranks, and now my own son? Who’s next, Father?”

Thor was laughing too hard to speak at this point. Loki waited until Thor was done to speak up once more. “Seriously, though, how did you get Vali to do what you wanted?”

“He loves me.”

“…you tempted him with books, didn’t you?”

Thor smirked. Loki hit him on the shoulder.

 

* * *

“But it’s a trick.”

“Oh, no, it’s much more than that.”

“ _Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power,_ ” Clint rumbled in a passable imitation of Thor’s voice and accent. “Whatever, man! It’s a trick.”

Natasha and Loki snorted.

“Please, be my guest,” Thor invited.

“Really?”

“Yeah!”

“Oh, this is going to be beautiful,” Rhodey chuckled.

In the next few minutes, the rest of the Avengers each had a go at lifting the hammer. So far, Clint, Tony, Rhodey and Bruce had failed, with Bruce even trying to channel the Hulk’s strength. He sat down, embarrassed, when his ferocious roar died away awkwardly.

Steve was next, and the hammer squeaked on the table as it moved slightly. Thor’s smile disappeared, but Steve couldn’t lift it.

“Widow?” Bruce called.

“Oh, that’s not a question I need answered,” she said with a grin.

“Loki?”

“I’ve tried, believe me. I suppose I’m not worthy after all.”

Thor patted Loki’s shoulder comfortingly. “If it helps, I believe you should be able to lift it.”

“Thank you, brother,” Loki said sincerely. “It helps that Vali can lift it,” he added softly. "I saw him the other day."

“Indeed,” Thor agreed. “I wasn’t exactly surprised.”

Tony turned to Thor. “The handle’s imprinted, right? ‘Whosoever carries Thor’s fingerprints’ is, I think, the literal translation?”

“Yes, well, that’s a very interesting theory. I have a simpler one. You’re all not worthy.” Thor tossed Mjolnir into the air and caught it again. Cries of disagreement and boos were accompanied by Thor's laughter.

* * *

“Sorry I’m late,” Loki said when he was back on Asgard. “I had a robot apocalypse to stop.”

Vali was examining him worriedly. Loki was sporting a number of small cuts and bruises from the metal shards of the robots, but he seemed to be otherwise alright. “Are you all right, Father?”

Loki smiled at his son. “I’m absolutely fine,” he said, before his expression became partly serious. “Now, Thor tells me that you helped him get some of my special mead to the party. Care to explain yourself?”

Vali blushed. 

* * *

 

Odin had fallen into the Odinsleep once more, as he hadn’t recovered entirely the previous time. Thor and Loki both denied the throne, thus crowning Frigga as regent of the realm. The thunderer was traveling the Nine Realms in search of the Infinity Stones. Loki had tried to convince him not to look for them, but Thor had been adamant.

One day, they received an urgent transmission from Earth. Frigga called Loki to the throne room which, at the time, was otherwise deserted. A hologram flickered before them, showing them a view of the Avengers, or, at least, most of them. Tony, Steve, Natasha, Rhodey, Sam, Wanda, Pietro and Vision were seated around a table. Clint was nowhere to be seen, but Loki knew where he was – with his family.

He’d met Laura and the children before facing off Ultron for a second time. Just after he’d seen his family in a vision made by Wanda’s powers. It had hurt, but he couldn’t exactly bring himself to begrudge Clint over something such as this. Clint knew exactly how lucky he was, and Loki couldn’t help but like the young Bartons.

“What’s this?” Loki asked Frigga.

“Your friends have been trying to reach you and Thor. I’m afraid they have grave news.”

“What is it?” Loki waved a hand before the hologram, and the others were thrown into movement. Frigga moved away to give them privacy.

“Loki!” Tony exclaimed. “We’ve been trying to get to you and Thor for a few days. Where’s old Point Break?”

“He’s traveling,” Loki said. “What’s going on, are you having some sort of meeting?”

Steve explained the situation to him. The Sokovia Accords, they called it. To make the Avengers more accountable for their mistakes, it seemed.

“This is ridiculous,” Loki said. “I can understand the reasons behind these, but the Accords themselves… not so much. This does nothing but shift the blame to the UN. The entire point of the Avengers is to keep the world safe by intervening when we think is necessary. Outside the rules drawn up by any one country. This does not achieve what they claim. This removes our ability to act quickly. If another invasion occurs, and you have signed the Accords, there might not _be_ a New York by the time your Council approves the decision.

“As for making the Avengers accountable for their mistakes… again, I have to say, all this does is shift the blame. Essentially what lives _could_ have been saved would have been lost by the time your council finished discussing whether this was important enough for the Avengers to take care of. Not to mention that this also makes sure that you’re available at their beck and call. You could end up in an unfavourable situation with no choice but to follow your orders.”

Tony had been silent throughout Loki’s observations. He flicked his hand, and an image rose beside the Avengers. “His name’s Charles Spencer. Good kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.5 GPA. He wanted to do some good in the world before he began work at Intel. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. I assume you can guess where.”

“Sokovia,” Loki said softly.

“Yup. He wanted to make a difference. I guess it doesn’t matter anymore, because we dropped a building on his head.”

Loki flinched. “Don’t you dare,” he snapped, thinking of all the lives that had been lost when he had first arrived in the SHIELD facility. “Don’t you dare take blame for the casualties caused by Ultron. We saved the world, Tony. Does that mean nothing to you?”

“People died because of us! We need to be put in check!”

“Maybe we do,” Loki said, surprising everyone. “But I have to contradict your other statement. People do _not_ die because of you.”

“Oh, so it’s _you_ now?” Tony said icily.

Loki’s expression became cold. “Did you personally march up to each of them and shoot them in the head?”

Tony shook his head slowly.

“If you’re going to take credit for all the lives lost during these events, you need to take credit for the lives saved.” Loki pulled up a chart, one that displayed the losses at the Battle of New York. Tony had to admit that the survivors had been far greater than he had originally thought. “New York – you saved the lives of everyone in Manhattan, and the rest of the world. I assure you, the Chitauri would not have stopped with one city alone,” Loki said. “Could you have saved them if you had to wait for orders?”

Another chart. “London. Thor, Jane, Doctor Selvig and Darcy saved the lives of everyone in the Nine Realms. I almost died, but Thor was able to continue because he had the freedom to do so without waiting for approval.”

A third chart. “Xandar – no, wrong chart –” the chart flickered and changed – “Sokovia. A few thousand lives lost, and ten trillion saved.”

“Ten trillion?” Steve sounded confused.

“An entire chunk of your planet was floating in the air like a Helicarrier. A sentient robot wanted to turn it into a meteor. Tony, do you know what kind of an imbalance that could cause to the structure of Yggdrasil? Because if you’re taking credit for all lives lost, you must know how terrible it would have been for _eight other realms_ if we’d lost to Ultron. Yggdrasil would have lost the nexus of the Nine Realms. The entire structure would have crumbled around Midgard. The Nine Realms would have been thrown into chaos.” _My son would have died._

“You _didn’t kill them_ , you _saved_ them. Yes, there were casualties. Terrible as they might be, these things happen in the battlefield. For the sake of your own health, and the lives of the Nine Realms, do not take those as your own kill count. The Nine Realms are only here because the Avengers acted fast. These Accords will only hinder your ability to do so.”

Tony sagged into a chair, dumbstruck at the outburst. Loki sighed. “I won’t sign the Accords, Tony,” he said in a gentler tone. “Not unless they are amended to make us _accountable_ rather than to make playthings of us. You all are heroes. Not monsters. You save the world. You don’t tear it down. But I understand that this is necessary to placate your leaders. If, however, they  _are_ amended such that the benefits go both ways, I may change my mind. All the same, I cannot speak for Thor.”

Steve exchanged a look with Tony. “Thank you, Loki.”

Loki nodded stiffly. “I am glad to be of help.”

“Well, there’s just one thing I object to,” Natasha said. “You said, _you save the world,_ and _you are all heroes_. Loki, you’re one of us too. If we are heroes, then you’re one too.”

“I find that clashing with my personality,” Loki said. “I prefer to be in the middle zone. The little grey area of unpredictability.”

Nat grinned. “True enough, trickster.”

Tony jumped up with a shout. “Wait! I almost forgot – a message came through. A note. Just this morning, I guess… an hour ago. It was addressed to you personally. From Thor, I think. It came through post, though, so I’m not sure.”

“What did it say?”

“Not much, just a small design,” Tony held out the scrap of paper. “Here.”

Loki stared at the design. “What is it written in, Tony?” he asked hoarsely.

“Something red. I don’t think it’s ink, or paint.”

“Is it blood?”

Tony squinted at the sheet. “FRIDAY…”

“I would say that it is indeed blood,” the AI responded.

Loki staggered back. “I’m coming over,” he said. “I-I have to see this for myself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the Accords: I'm not entirely sure how they work, so I was mostly guessing here.   
> (I'm sorry for any mistakes in that section)  
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

The scorch marks left by the Bifrost every time Thor landed on Earth drove Tony up the wall, so he had made a special landing platform with corrosion-resistant materials. It was durable enough that it needn’t be replaced often as well. It had been a good solution. The rainbow colours of the Bifrost burst through the sky, depositing Loki on the platform. Loki barely steadied himself before sprinting into the Compound. He flung the doors open with his _seidr_ and skidded to a stop. He knew that everyone was staring – they had never seen him so discomposed – but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

A severe-looking human pushed his way towards the Avengers. “You’re here for the Accords too?” he asked the prince.

Loki glowered at the man. “I don’t care about your Accords. As prince of Asgard, I have sworn to protect your world from extraterrestrial threats. It matters not about my being an Avenger, I would continue to do the same till my last breath. I have come here on some other business, and wish to talk to Tony. Now, will you get out of my way, or do I need to persuade you to do so?”

The others stared at him. Loki was always polite to the humans, whether or not he was irritated. The man moved aside, looking a bit afraid of the trickster, and Loki practically leaped to Tony’s side. Tony held out the paper, which Loki grabbed immediately.

He ran a hand over the design, and the expression on his face changed from irritation to disbelief to something else Steve couldn’t quite place. Loki closed his eyes for a moment, and the paper flashed greenish gold - the colour of Loki's  _seidr_. Steve barely noticed it, but there was a coppery flash as well.

Loki’s eyes flew open. Steve couldn’t find words to describe the look of joy on Loki’s face. The god in question turned to Tony and hugged him, startling everyone in the room. “Thank you,” he whispered in the inventor’s ear, before he stepped back. 

“Uhh, I just played messenger,” Tony said.  “I don’t know what was so great about that.”

Loki shook his head. “This message isn’t from Thor. It’s from a person I never expected to hear from again. The paper is undamaged, so I can use a tracking spell and trace it back to its source.”

“The person who sent it,” Tony murmured. “Like I said, this came through post, so. It's from within America, but I'm not sure where.”

He handed the god an envelope. “No name, but it was addressed to you. And it was handwritten, so if you wanted to confirm whether it's them, you could,” he shrugged. Loki blinked at the envelope before smiling. He recognized the writing, familiar to him as his own.

“I don’t know if it’s the person you’re thinking of, but all the same…” Tony’s voice trailed off.

“Oh, it is,” Loki assured Tony.

Tony nodded. “We’ll help you if you need,” he said.

Ross spoke up then. “The purpose of the Accords is to prevent this exact sort of thing! Who knows whether this person means a threat?”

“I assure you, they don’t,” Loki said. Tony tensed, this was not going to end well.

“Then if you go in and make a mess of things-”

“Okay, we’re done here. Ross, you can pack up your things. We’re going to help Loki, Accords or not, because he’s our friend.” Tony glared at the secretary. “We’re not trying to – what was it – make a mess of things.”

Ross rolled his eyes.

Loki sighed. “I have to do all the work, don’t I?” He swept his hand across the room, and Ross turned on his heel and _drifted_ out of the door, which promptly closed behind him. Loki seemed to be trying his best not to look hopeful as he slowly turned to face the rest of the Avengers.

“Did you mean it?” he asked Tony. “I haven’t even told you who this person is.”

“I meant it, Lokes,” Tony said. “Everyone saw the look on your face when you did that thing with your _seidr._ Clearly this person means a lot to you, and you want to get back in contact with them.”

“More than anything,” he admitted, sinking into a chair. He buried his head in his hands, and Tony noted with some level of confusion that Loki was trembling. He knelt down in front of the prince. “Hey, you okay?” he asked gently.“Look, we’re in this together,” Tony said. “We’ll help you in any way you need.”

Loki nodded and leaned back in his chair. Tony pulled up another chair and sat down beside him.

“What I did with my _seidr_ , it allowed me to find out which planet my – they are on.”

“Okay. So they can travel across worlds like you?”

“Yes. The spell informed me that they are, in fact, on Midgard. I need to refine a tracking spell to find their exact location, though.”

“Do you need our help for that?”

“I need help getting there. The tracking spell is simple enough,” Loki murmured, closing his eyes once more. The other Avengers waited in silence till Loki opened his eyes again. “Well?” Steve asked. “Where are they?”

“New York."

* * *

 

Loki wondered if this wasn’t simply a cruel trick being played by the Norns. When Tony had showed him the sigil on the paper, he hadn’t been ready to believe it. Then, he himself had examined it, and couldn’t deny the truth of its contents.

A sigil was a mark of a mage. And the one on the paper was as familiar to Loki as his own. No one but the mage themselves could draw it in blood. It had to be their own blood, infused with _seidr_. It was the magical equivalent of a fingerprint – no two mages had the same sigil. And while humans could find a way to get another’s fingerprint, _seidr_ was trickier, nay, impossible, to imitate. And so, a sigil could also not be forged.

Loki stepped forward, reaching out with his _seidr._ He could feel a response, and it felt natural. Loki’s _seidr_ reached out further of its own volition, and he stumbled forward. A figure emerged from the line of bushes in front of him and stopped, staring. He stopped as well. The figure was actually _two_ figures – a woman and a teenage boy. Loki couldn't hear anything past the sudden ringing in his years, and he say the woman’s mouth forming words.

His name.

He found himself responding as well. “Sigyn.”

Their _seidr_ snapped back into the bond they had formed after their marriage. Loki could feel the copper of her power curling around his. He stepped forward once, then another time, and somehow he had run across the street (which was mercifully devoid of cars) and pulled his wife into a tight embrace.

“Norns, I missed you.” He was crying, and in public, but he didn’t care. He knew when his _seidr_ felt complete that this was not an illusion, not a false hope. Sigyn was crying too, whispering his name over and over. “I’m sorry,” she gasped. “If there had been any way of telling you sooner-”

“Hush now, my love,” he whispered back. “I know what happened.”

“Then you know that the Titan…”

He rested his forehead against hers. “A few years ago, I found out. That the Titan had done this to you, to get to me. I-I didn’t know you lived, but I knew who was responsible. I’m sorry, I should have searched more. I shouldn’t have left you wherever-”

“Loki,” she said, resting a hand on his cheek, “You didn’t abandon me. The Titan’s hordes had broken into our home, and I tried to fight back, but they - they said that they would kill you and one of the twins, so I burned the house down around them. They – I couldn’t find Vali, so I took Narvi and ran. I was on the run for six years, and I only found a way back a year ago.” Sigyn’s breath hitched. “I wanted to come back to Asgard,” she said. “But the Black Order was still after us. I had to lay low.”

“It’s alright now,” Loki murmured. “You’re safe. You’re fine.”

“But Vali-”

“Is on Asgard,” Loki finished. Sigyn gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth. “Really? He’s alive?”

“Really,” Loki promised. “He was hurt in the fire, and I think he had been cloaked from your vision, but I took him to the healers as soon as I returned. He’s safe, Sigyn. Now, where’s Narvi? I think i saw him just a minute ago.”

“Hello, Father,” said a voice behind him. Loki spun around, and thought he could start crying again. Narvi had grown so much, and resembled Loki in ways past the black hair and pale complexion. Loki remembered his steel grey eyes, so much like Sigyn’s own, and the feel of his  _seidr_. Though Narvi wasn't yet reaching out, he could sense the power humming through his son's veins.

“Narvi,” Loki breathed. His son stepped forward hesitantly, reaching out with his _seidr_. Loki responded in kind, and Narvi’s cautious expression broke into a smile and he ran into his father’s arms.

* * *

They returned to the Avengers Compound, and Loki had asked Heimdall to send Vali down to Midgard to meet his mother and brother. The rainbow colours broke through the clouds for the second time that day, and a small figure was left in the very center of the spiral.

Vali stood and stilled at the sight before him. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He reached out with his _seidr_ , much like Narvi had done earlier, and felt his eyes fill with tears when the familiar essence of his parents and brother responded to his call. He ran towards them and threw himself into Narvi’s arms, nearly knocking his twin to the ground.

Narvi himself was clutching onto his brother with no small level of desperation, as though he expected him to disappear any moment. Vali then launched himself into his mother’s arms. Sigyn pulled him close, and he sobbed into her shoulder in relief that she was alive. Narvi and Loki joined in the hug and dropped to their knees in the center of the courtyard.

Finally, they were together again.


End file.
